It is 10 years ago since I purchased my home in Balham. Conveyancing solicitors have now been retained on the sale but I can't track down the title deeds. Is this a problem?
Don’t worry too much. Firstly there is a possibility that the deeds will be retained by the mortgage company or they could still be with the solicitor who acted in the purchase. Secondly the likelihood is that the land will be recorded at the land registry and you will be able to establish that you own the property by your conveyancing solicitors acquiring current official copies of the land registers. Almost all conveyancing in Balham relates to registered property but in the rare situation where your property is unregistered it adds to the complexity but is resolvable.
How can we know in advance if a Balham conveyancing solicitor on the Santander panel is any good?
When it comes to conveyancing in Balham obtaining recommendations is a good start. Before you go ahead, check if they offer a no sale no fee offer. Also, you often get what you pay for - a firm which quotes more, will often provide a better service than one advertising the lowest fees. We would always suggest that you speak with the lawyer conducting your transaction.
We have agreed to purchase a house in Balham. An unusual aspect is that the roof has a solar panel. Santander have issued a mortgage offer so presumably this is not a concern to them. Why is my solicitor raising questions about the panel?
Given that you are obtaining a mortgage with Santander your lawyer must check the conveyancing instructions outlined in Section two of UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Santander. The CML Handbook contains minimum conditions for solar panel roof-space leases, and lawyers are required to report to Santander where a lease fails to satisfy these conditions. The requirements relate to the installation of panels on properties in England and Wales and is not isolated to Balham.
I have finally had an offer on an apartment in Balham accepted, the vendors do however have a dependent purchase. The vendors have placed an offer on a property, but it’s not yet agreed to, and are looking at other flats in the pipeline. I have chosen a local conveyancing solicitor in Balham. What should be my next step? When should I get the mortgage application with Co-operative started?
It is usual to have anxieties where there is a chain as you are unlikely to want to incur costs prematurely (home loan application is approx £1k, then valuation, Balham conveyancing search charges, etc). The first course of action is to check that your property lawyer is on the Co-operative conveyancing panel. As to the subsequent stages this very much depends on the uniqueness of your case, motivation for the property and on the state of the market. During a hot market many purchasers would apply for the mortgage with Co-operative and pay for the valuation and only if it was satisfactory would they ask their conveyancer to press on with searches.
It has been five months following my purchase conveyancing in Balham took place. I have checked the Land Registry website which shows that I paid £150,000 when infact I paid £170,000. Why the discrepancy?
The price paid figure is taken from the application to register the purchase. It is the figure included in the Transfer (the legal deed which transfers the asset from one person to the other) and referred to as the 'consideration' or purchase price. You can report an error in the price paid figure using the LR online form. In most cases errors result from typos so at first glance the figure. Do report it so they can double check and advise.
Is it best to instruct a Balham conveyancing lawyer who is local to the property I am buying? We have a good friend who can handle the legal work however her office is 200miles drive away.
The benefit of a local Balham conveyancing practice is that you can attend the office to sign paperwork, deliver your identification documents and pester them where appropriate. They will also have local intelligence which is a plus. That being said it's more important to get someone that will do a good and efficient job. If you know people who instructed your friend and on the whole were impressed that must trump using an unknown Balham conveyancing solicitor just because they are round the corner.
Can you offer any advice when it comes to appointing a Balham conveyancing practice to carry out our lease extension conveyancing?
If you are instructing a solicitor for your lease extension (regardless if they are a Balham conveyancing firm) it is most important that he or she should be familiar with the legislation and specialises in this area of conveyancing. We advise that you talk with two or three firms including non Balham conveyancing practices prior to instructing a firm. Where the conveyancing practice is ALEP accredited then that’s a bonus. The following questions might be of use:
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What volume of lease extensions have they conducted in Balham in the last year? If the firm is not ALEP accredited then why not?
After years of dialogue we are unable to agree with our landlord on how much the lease extension should cost for our flat in Balham. Does the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal have jurisdiction to calculate the appropriate figures?
Most definitely. We are happy to put you in touch with a Balham conveyancing firm who can help.
An example of a Lease Extension matter before the tribunal for a Balham residence is First Floor Flat 152a Ramsden Road in June 2009. The net result of the tribunals calculation produced a premium payable of £23,975. This case related to 1 flat. The number of years remaining on the existing lease(s) was 56.67 years.
What type of property do your Balham conveyancing quotes apply to?
Our conveyancing quotes are only applicable to standard residential premises in England & Wales. Should you have any different needs for instance industrial or agricultural property or commercial conveyancing in Balham do telephone us to address this further .